I had the chance to chat with Craig Isbel, the award-winnning winemaker from Torbreck during his visit to San Francisco. It was great talking to Craig. He has a colorful background and a no-nonsense approach to wine making. I was struck by how humble he was for man with multple 100-point wines. After the interview we went out for a glass and the gu…

Had a great conversation with Mike Dunn of Dunn Vineyards today. I drove up to the winery on Howell Mountain. It was a great drive and a great conversation. We talk about many things, including the winery, alcohol level, wine critics and of course Howell Mountain. Mike was one of the most passionate and down to earth people you will meet in the win…

Today I speak with Anani Lawson, sommelier with Lucy restaurant in the Bardessono Hotel in Yountville. Anani has traveled an interesting path. Originally from Togo, Africa, he came to the U.S. to work in a completely different field (I’ll let him tell the story), and has ultimately served as sommelier in several world-class restaurants including th…

In this episode, I interview Danielle Cyrot, the winemaker for . CADE, founded by the folks at PlumpJack back in 2005, is one of the few wineries up on Napa's Howell Mountain. It's worth the trip up windy Howell Mountain Road to experiece CADE-- for an amazing view from high up on Howell Mountain out across Napa Valley, and of course, for the wines…